"High Enough" is a song by American supergroup

Damn Yankees ''Damn Yankees'' is a 1955 musical comedy with a book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop, music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story is a modern retelling of the Faust legend set during the 1950s in Washington, D.C., d ...

from their self-titled debut album. A

power ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner. Balla ...

, it is their most successful single in terms of chart position and sales, rising to 3 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, the group's first (and only) top-ten pop single. It also reached No. 2 on the US

Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock is a music chart published by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States. It is an administrative category that combines the " active rock" and " heritage rock" ...

chart. The success of "High Enough" helped send its parent album into the top 20 on the US albums chart.

Background

According to songwriter and co-lead vocalist

Jack Blades Jack Martin Blades (born April 24, 1954) is an American rock musician. He has worked in the bands Rubicon (American band), Rubicon, Night Ranger (as bassist and one of the lead vocalists), and Damn Yankees (band), Damn Yankees (as one of the f ...

Music video

The

music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...

was filmed on location in

River Ridge, Louisiana River Ridge is an Unincorporated area#United States, unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is a suburb of New Orleans. The population was 13,591 i ...

, and depicts a young drifter and his girlfriend who commit a series of robberies. However, their last one appears to have far more serious consequences as they become the targets of a manhunt by the local police. It is implied, but not specifically shown, that the drifter may have committed

murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse committed with the necessary Intention (criminal law), intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisd ...

. The girlfriend is captured, but the drifter escapes and is cornered in his home by the police, who shoot the house full of bullets. The police invade the house, but the drifter's fate is unclear (possibly died during the gunfire). The girlfriend is given the death penalty and at the video's slowing end is being read her

last rites The last rites, also known as the Commendation of the Dying, are the last prayers and ministrations given to an individual of Christian faith, when possible, shortly before death. The Commendation of the Dying is practiced in liturgical Chri ...

by a priest while she is being led out of her cell to the execution chamber. As the video ends, the priest is revealed to be

Ted Nugent Theodore Anthony Nugent (; born December 13, 1948) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and political activist. He goes by several nicknames, including Uncle Ted, the Nuge, and Motor City Madman. Nugent initially gained fame as the le ...

Track listings

7-inch and cassette single # "High Enough" (single version) – 4:17 # "Piledriver" (album version) – 4:18 12-inch and CD single # "High Enough" (LP version) – 4:43 # "Piledriver" (LP version) – 4:18 # "Bonestripper" – 4:22

Personnel

Damn Yankees * Tommy Shaw: lead and backing vocals, acoustic and rhythm guitar * Ted Nugent: lead guitar, backing and harmony vocals * Jack Blades: lead and backing vocals, bass * Michael Cartellone: drums, percussion Additional personnel * Alan Pasqua: Keyboards * Jimmie Haskell: string arrangements * Neverleave Brothers: backing vocals

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{Authority control 1990 songs 1990 singles Damn Yankees (band) songs 1990s ballads Glam metal ballads Song recordings produced by Ron Nevison Songs written by Ted Nugent Songs written by Jack Blades Songs written by Tommy Shaw Warner Records singles